Oral Manifestations of Chronic Renal Failure Patients on Hemodialysis

Kidney disease is a worldwide health problem with increasing incidence and prevalence of disease, high cost, and poor prognosis. Chronic Kidney Disease involves an irreversible loss of renal function which leads to a change in the electrolyte balance of the human body. This can lead to a large plethora of oral manifestations. A wide range of lesions may be observed in chronic renal failure patients like gingival hyperplasia, enamel hypoplasia, petechiae, gingival bleeding, and various other lesions. As literature indicates that the incidence of these pathologies are increasing, identification and providing appropriate dental care to these patients can be imperative.

Aims: To assess the oral manifestations of chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis.

Methods and Materials: The oral cavity of the patients was examined for features like uremic odour, coated tongue, ulcerations, pigmentation, petechiae, ecchymosis, uremic stomatitis, xerostomia and recorded accordingly.

Statistical Analysis Used: All the findings were tabulated and were subjected to statistical analysis using Chi square test.

Results: A wide range of oral signs, symptoms, and lesions that include uremic odor(36.6%), xerostomia(58.3%), uremic stomatitis(5%), altered taste sensation(46.6%), coated tongue(1%), burning sensation(40%), ulceration/pigmentation(6.6%), candidiasis(5%), pale mucosa(13.3%), gingival enlargement (6.6%) and petechiae/ecchymosis(5%) were observed. Xerostomia was found to be the most common finding in 35(58.3%) patients affecting 20 (57.1%) of males and 15(42.8%) of females followed by altered taste sensation in 28 (46.6%) patients that showed an equal gender predilection.

Conclusions: Dental considerations of renal failure patients is of utmost importance as they present with a wide range of oral manifestations. It is the Oral Physicians responsibility to treat the oral manifestations along with rendering the appropriate dental therapy to the renal failure patients.